Crack—

A faint sound echoed through the forest.

The two men beneath the tree instantly dodged in opposite directions. The one holding the child even hurled the kid backward with enough force to cripple an adult—let alone a child.

Save the kid or kill the enemies?

A choice had to be made.

Rayne, diving from above, had to admit: these guys were professionals. Even mere grunts had sharp reflexes and terrifying awareness.

"Your turn."

Laxus' voice cut through the tension. Without hesitation, Rayne kicked off a tree trunk mid-air, altering his trajectory to catch the flung child.

As for the two enemies? Rayne wasn't worried.

Not with the rage simmering in Laxus' tone.

The lightning mage was furious—both at being spotted and at having the "weakling" he despised witness it. That fury needed an outlet.

And these two would do.

Crackle—BOOM!

Golden lightning erupted, drowning out the forest's chirps and buzzes.

Thud.

Rayne landed softly, knees bent, and glanced back.

One charred, smoking lump twitched on the ground, sporadic sparks still dancing across it. Meanwhile, Laxus had already closed the distance to the second man in a flash.

His body coiled low, fist clenched at his hip.

"Lightning Fist—!"

A spiraling punch lashed out, golden snakes of electricity writhing around his arm.

"LYLE!!!"

The man barely had time to scream before the fist connected. His eyes bulged as he instinctively channeled magic for defense—

—Too late.

CRASH!

The impact sent him flying like a ragdoll, smashing through a tree trunk with enough force to shake the canopy. Leaves rained down as his body crumpled into a grotesque "C" shape.

Alive, but not for long.

"Tch."

Laxus flexed his wrist, lightning flickering around him, his expression dark.

For a second, Rayne wondered if the Thunder God would've punched him too—just to erase the embarrassment of being seen needing help.

"So much for stealth."

Shaking off the thought, Rayne turned toward the vine-wrapped treehouse.

Even without the dying man's shout, the burst of magic would've alerted the others. If grunts were this sharp, their boss wouldn't be slacking.

"Hah! Leave the rest to me!"

Laxus jammed his headphones on, blasting music. His magic pulsed in sync with the beat, surging violently.

After securing the child safely away, Rayne eyed the golden-haired mage.

"Seriously? Battle music? Maybe I should compose a 'Fairy Tail Main Theme' for extra hype."

A grin tugged at his lips as his own magic ignited, embers flickering deep in his pupils.

Above, figures emerged from the treehouse.

"Useless idiots. Can't even handle two brats?"

A green-robed man—likely their leader—glared at the corpses, then at Rayne and Laxus.

"Borg. Clean up this trash." He flicked his wrist dismissively.

Child mages? Prime merchandise. The dead lackeys? Consider it their first useful contribution.

"Understood."

A hulking axe-wielder stepped forward—

BOOM!

—and landed like a meteor, shaking the earth. Dust and leaves billowed up, obscuring his form—

SHING!

—until a crimson axe cleaved through the debris, revealing the squad behind him.

["Now… LET'S SLAUGHTER THEM!"]

Ddraig's voice roared in Rayne's mind, ecstatic. Fighting the Moonlight Bear was fun, but human combat? That was her true craving.

Rayne obliged.

"Ddraig."

Crimson particles materialized, encasing his right arm in draconic armor. The green jewel on its back gleamed as claws flexed with a metallic snick.

The air itself seemed to tremble.

"That's his weapon?"

Laxus side-eyed the transformation, brow twitching. The armlet radiated danger—especially that eerie jewel, like a giant eyeball staring into his soul.

And the kid's aura?

It'd gone from a calm lake to a raging storm.

"Why's this brat always surrounded by freaky shit?"

No time to dwell. Laxus refocused on the enemies—

—Just as their leader puffed up his chest.

"Listen well, whelps! You face the mighty—"

THUD!

A boot slammed into the tree beside his head.

"What the hell are you rambling about?! Nobody cares!"

Rayne's voice dripped with mocking impatience.

Laxus blinked.

…Since when did this kid get so damn loud?

Then his own grin turned feral.

Oh hell no. If anyone got to be the arrogant one here, it'd be him.

"I'm taking them ALL!"

Lightning erupted. Gold met crimson as both mages charged—

—And the forest became a warzone.